Nov. What's New In The Community

Tiwahe Foundation receives 1 Million grant from Northwest Area Foundation

The Northwest Area Foundation (NWAF) has awarded a $1 million Presidential Grant to the Tiwahe Foundation, an emerging Native community foundation that serves the Twin Cities area, for its “Investing in Indian Philanthropy” project. The grant is twofold: $300,000 is slated to provide operating support for Tiwahe, with the remaining $700,000 allocated as a challenge grant to help Tiwahe leverage additional funding for its endowment campaign.

The grant embodies NWAF’s commitment to build Native giving and empower Natives to fund other Natives. According to Tiwahe President and CEO Kelly Drummer, “This grant will be a part of creating history as one of the first community-led endowment campaigns in the country for American Indians.”

Founded in 2009, Tiwahe Foundation strives to be a resource for philanthropy across Indian Country. It is the only foundation to use an asset-building approach in the Indian community through a micro-granting program.

To date, Tiwahe American Indian Family Empowerment has awarded 600+ grants for educational attainment, economic advancement, and cultural revitalization to the Twin Cities Native American community.

“We hope this grant will further propel Tiwahe’s endowment campaign, ensure its long-term sustainability, and help continue the successful grant-making programs that have enriched urban Native families,” said Karla Miller, program director for NWAF.

The Northwest Area Foundation supports organizations that drive proven approaches and promising innovations to help people build assets through good jobs and financial capability. Its grantees are champions of change who reflect the diverse cultural strengths of its region, which includes the eight states of Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, and more than 75 Native nations. For more information, visit www.nwaf.org.

Minneapolis American Indian Center receives 1.2 M federal grant

On October 1st, the Administration for Native Americans, of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officially notified the Minneapolis American Indian Center (MAIC) that they had been selected to receive a three-year $1.2 million dollar grant. The goal of the Native FAN (Fitness And Nutrition) Program is to reduce obesity and obesity-linked diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases in the Minneapolis American Indian community which is disproportionately impacted by obesity and diabetes. Native FAN plans to work with 500 community members, and will recruit and provide incentives to 100 individuals with risk factors such as sedentary lifestyle, obesity, or diabetes to get involved with the program, to come on a regular basis, and to achieve their fitness goals. The program has a cultural focus by emphasizing physical activities like traditional Native dancing, Lacrosse, and endurance sports, as well as contemporary activities like men’s basketball, family volleyball, martial arts, yoga and biking clubs.

There will be monthly classes focusing on learning about nutrition, meal planning, shopping and cooking, with Native chefs providing cooking demonstrations using traditional Indigenous foods. Quarterly health fairs, workshops and powwows will be held that offer health screening and education on preventing and managing cancer, heart disease and diabetes. The project will work with a number of community partners including Dog Soldier Mixed Martial Arts, Twin Cities Native Lacrosse Club, Native American Community Clinic, Dream of Wild Health, American Indian Cancer Foundation, the Indigenous Peoples Task Force, as well as fitness clubs to coordinate physical activities, nutrition education and health screening events. The project will also entail a policy component to overhaul the health and wellness and nutrition policies for the Minneapolis American Indian Center and partnering agencies. For more info, contact Mary LaGarde at 612-879-1750, or email: mlagarde@maicnet.org.

The Lake Superior Ojibwe Gallery opens

The new Lake Superior Ojibwe Gallery was formally dedicated on October 20 in Duluth, Minnesota. The Ojibwe Gallery features the work of internationally recognized 19th century painter Eastman Johnson. The gallery is a project of the St. Louis County Historical Society, custodians of the art depicting the Ojibwe people when Johnson visited the “Head of the Lakes” in 1856 and 1857.

According to Society Executive Director JoAnne Coombe, “The mandate for the gallery – conveying the voice and viewpoint of the Lake Superior Ojibwe – developed after years of collaborative discussion with a hardworking American Indian Advisory Committee comprised of tribal appointees from the Fond du Lac, Bois Forte and Grand Portage Bands and at large members of the American Indian community.”

The Lake Superior Ojibwe Gallery project was made possible by the support of the residents of St. Louis County and funding provided through the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, the JNM Gift Trust and the Depot Foundation.

The Ojibwe Gallery is on the top floor of the Duluth Depot in Duluth, Minnesota. For more info, call JoAnne Coombe at 218-733-7586 or email joanne@thehistorypeople.org.

NACF awards 2015 Upper Midwest regional artist fellowships

Seven Native artists from the Upper Midwest have been awarded Regional Artist Fellowships from the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF). This is the second consecutive year that the NACF has awarded the fellowships, which recognize Native artists for artistic vision, development and impact to community and culture in the traditional and visual arts categories.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has awarded grants to about a dozen nonprofits in Minnesota, including the Red Lake Band of the Chippewa Indians Entrepreneur Development Program. The two-year grants total $2.7 million to 11 nonprofit organizations to provide services and technical assistance to emerging businesses and entrepreneurs in the state.

“These nonprofit organizations help businesses start and survive during the early stages of the business development,” DEED Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben said.

The Red Lake Band of the Chippewa Indians Entrepreneur Development Program was awarded $100,000 to assist individual entrepreneur in establishing and growing new businesses in the Red Lake Nation.